Change of Plans
by Waffleness
Summary: Max and Warren discuss his upcoming trip to the movies with Brooke. (GrahamField Oneshot)


Warren stood up from his seat on Blackwell's front steps, waving his smart phone in the air. "Boom bam, baby! These tickets are mine. That was a close one, they've practically sold out right after I bought 'em!"

Looking up from her perch on the wall, Max offered a pleased smile. "That's great, Warren. I hope you and Brooke have a great time."

His smile slowly faded as Max turned her attention back to her journal. She was scratching at it with a dying pen. Warren took his seat back next to her, trying to catch a glimpse of what she was writing. "Ah… are you sure you didn't want to come? I know you like these types of movies."

"Nah, if I went, I'd have Brooke breathing down my neck again. And I want to fly her drone at least one more time before I graduate!" Max closed her book and began packing up her things as Warren looked down at his feet.

"I should just buy you your own drone…" he said under his breath.

"Maybe Brooke can let me borrow hers while you two are out."

"Well, I know Brooke has been dying to go. She has been dropping hints like nobody's dang business. She practically forced my hand." Warren waved his palm around in circles.

"Do you…" Max considered her next words, "not want to go with her?"

Warren turned his head. "I- I mean I do… she's my friend and we have stuff in common… but..."

"But what?" Max leaned forward, listening intently.

"Sometimes… I don't know how to explain it. She can just be difficult to be around," Warren shrugged.

"I think I know what you mean," Max affirmed, nodding.

"Right? She's just—"

"Kind of harsh."

"Cold could be the right word. Sometimes I feel like she doesn't even listen to me when I'm talking to her. She always just goes on her phone when we're together. And it's weird. I thought she wanted to talk to me and yet she always does that. It can wear on a guy, ya know? Or am I just being silly?"

"Well, you're always silly—"

"How'd I know you were going to say that?"

"Ha-ha, but no, I see how that can be kind of hurtful," Max thought for a moment. "Is she that way with Daniel, you think?"

"Daniel?" Warren questioned, not having heard of his connection to Brooke before. "I'm not sure. Are they together a lot?"

"I thought they've been hanging out. I encouraged him to try asking her out one time and she said yes!"

"No way! When was this? I don't want to be stealing Brooke away from the guy. He's a nice dude."

"Daniel is very nice. And a wonderful artist."

"Not better than me, right?"

"Oh, you mean that chicken scratch you sent me once? No, nothing beats that. You're the next Van Gogh!"

"Well, help me cut my ear off then."

"Right away!" Max burst into giggles.

"Ha-ha, but really, Daniel deserves whatever success is coming to him." Warren fell silent a moment before continuing. "You think maybe… he'd want to…"

"What are you plotting there, Mr. Gogh?" Max raised an eyebrow.

"I was just thinking…" Warren glanced at his companion, then back at his phone. "Maybe I should give these tickets to him so he can take Brooke. I mean, she'd still get to go and Daniel could have her all to himself!"

"But don't you want to go?"

"Well, yeah, I do… but if I missed it, it wouldn't be that big of a deal."

Max looked wary. "I don't know if Brooke would be very happy about you cancelling."

"I'm not _actually_ cancelling. More like… being replaced by someone far more interesting and talented."

"You can say that again."

"Excuse me? You're talking to the next big thing," He puffed out his chest.

Max looked in every direction, except at Warren, who began to scowl. "Who? I don't see them. Are they behind you?"

"Oh Max, you cut me real deep," He held a hand to his chest in mock pain. "Hold on, let me text Daniel real quick."

"You're seriously gonna give up those tix? Come on, you should go." Max nudged him in the shoulder. "And be careful about Brooke... You know that she…"

"…What are you going to say? Likes me? Hah."

"Well! Doesn't she? She doesn't hide it very well. In fact, I think even Daniel knows. And she always gives me the business when I hang out with you." Max shook her head at the memory.

"She's just upset that the one other dude she knows that's into science isn't always at her beck and call. She'll be fine."

"I don't know, Warren… I feel like it's more than that. Wouldn't you be upset if someone you liked cancelled on you and sent someone else in their stead?"

Warren didn't look at her. "…Well, you've yet to cancel on me, so I can't say for sure."

"…"

"Uh…a-hem! Hey look! Daniel responded," Warren coughed out, clearing his throat loudly.

Max's expression was unreadable. "… What'd he say?"

"He said that'd be amazing. And he'd pay me double what I paid! Wow, this worked out better than expected. I gotta tell Brooke now. Gird your loins," he added.

"She's not going to like it…"

"I'm telling you, she doesn't see me that way."

"How can you be so sure?"

"First off, she's not once done anything to me that implied she likes me."

Max rolled her eyes. "What are you even expecting her to do? She asked you to the movies didn't she?"

"But it's more she _made_ me ask her. It was a real brusque move, not very 'I like you' at all."

"Pssh, what are you, the Love Guru?"

He gave Max a 'look.' "Just trust me on this."

Max pushed off from her position on the wall, moving to stand next to her friend as he frantically typed into his phone. "Graham, I don't like to pull the gender card… but I sort of understand how a womanly mind works. At least a little bit more than you do. You're being dense!"

Warren scoffed, "the pot calling the kettle black!"

"What are you saying?"

"And why do you want me to go out with Brooke that badly anyway? Have you ever considered that maybe _I_ don't see her that way?"

"It's not that—"

"I mean seriously, Max. Maybe I just don't want to… lead her on," he eyed his companion's expression warily.

"I thought you said she didn't like you."

"I know," he sighed. "But, ugh, maybe you're right… she is pretty pissy about you. She's always saying snarky remarks and then acts like I can't clearly hear her."

"I hear them too. But I usually just brush 'em off. I mean, can't really blame her."

"Blame her?"

"We do spend some time together… maybe she just wants to see a little more of her science buddy."

"I see her plenty. If anything, I probably see her more than I see you, Little Miss Busy," Warren poked her in the arm.

She rolled her eyes. "I've just got big dreams, baby."

"Ha-ha. Oh… Brooke responded."

"Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good. Is she mad?"

"More mad than a sack of potatoes."

"Yikes. That doesn't even make sense."

"She's mad," he said with an air of certitude. "But she said she'll go with Daniel, thankfully. And look at us, a couple of psychics here. She totally did bring you into the convo. She thinks I'm blowing her off to hang with you."

"Well, you can tell her that just ain't true."

"Is it?"

"Well, yeah, Warren…"

"I just thought… you don't have to worry about Brooke giving you a hard time now."

"I feel like she'll give me an even harder time with the way you handled this!"

"It's got nothing to do with you, she can't pin blame on a complete third party."

Max huffed in frustration. "I'm not exactly a third party here, I basically implanted this idea in your head in the first place!"

"You mean…" Warren peered up at her, wagging an eyebrow, "you Inceptioned me?"

Max sighed, "yes, Warren, I infected your mind."

"In more ways than one."

"Ugh, just… well, I mean…"

Warren held a hand up, stopping her in her tracks. "… Relax Max, I get it, I get it. I shouldn't be the hypocrite here. I understand if you don't want to hang with me either."

"It's not that…"

"…Really?" He asked, just a little bit too eagerly. "Then what is it?"

"I don't know. I just feel guilty."

"Yeah…wait, so you do want to hang out?"

"I always want to hang with you, Warren. I mean, I have no one else to chill with at school the same way I can with you."

"Thanks, I guess… am I just your last resort then?"

"No, you silly kid," Max jokingly punched him in the arm.

"I know, I know, I was just being a pain."

"You really get off on annoying me, don't you?"

"Depends what you mean by 'get off'," he grinned.

Max laughed. "Ew! I was just kidding, spare me the dirty details. I already know how you boys operate."

"Oh, do you Maxine?" Warren lightly nudged her as they made their way towards the dormitories.

"Hey, who said you could call me that? And as a matter of fact…"

"Somehow I find that hard to believe."

"Believe it, pal… Oh god…" Max whipped out her phone, "here we go."

"What happened?"

"Brooke just texted me."

"What are you going to tell her?"

"She just said she hopes that you and I have fun…"

"Well that doesn't sound bitter at all. I hope she has a good time with Daniel."

"I'll say that." Max began to type into her phone, Warren nervously watching from the side.

"…"

"Okay she responded. Oh wow…"

"What is it, Max-Factor?" he asked with bated breath.

"She thanked me. She said she was having trouble making plans with Daniel after their first hang-out and just needed a reason to hang again. She just thought you would have had no one to go with to this showing."

"Geez… now I feel like a veal."

"You should feel like a match-maker, Mr. Love Guru."

"And yet why does the rejection sting so much? Ahh, my heart."

"Oh please," Max shook her head, trailing along next to him. Their steps on the pavement formed a steady rhythm. "So…" she began.

"So…" he continued.

"What did you have in mind for our supposed hang-out?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, ma'am," Warren looked straight ahead, attempting to hide his wickedly spreading grin.

"Ha-ha, just shut it and let's go," Max yanked at his arm.

"Where are you taking me!"

"If you won't go to the movies, we might as well bring them here. Your dorm or mine?"

"Depends. Would you rather be harassed by your girlfriends or by the ilk that I live with?"

"I'm feeling a little adventurous. Yours it is!"

"" _Women. They are a complete mystery."_ "

* * *

The last quote was said by Stephen Hawking. Warren also quoted Hawking on his slate in his dorm room.

What can I say? Can you blame me if I just want to hear more conversations between Warren and Max? That's all I need. Honestly, one of my favorites parts about the game (and I had many favorite parts) was just listening to Max talk to all the different characters. I loved looking around rooms and reading emails and papers littered around. It added such a unique atmosphere. I've never played a game like it. In the process, I became extremely attached to Warren's and Max's characters. Imagine my surprise when I finish the game and see that people actually dislike Warren. That truly saddens me since I think his character is rather fascinating and worth diving deeper into.

Hope you enjoyed my first Life is Strange fic and expect many more! I originally started this one as a lesson in dialogue, keeping my descriptions to a bare minimum. I know I have some other fics in the process... but I'm terrible and my interests jump around like crazy. Please review and let me know if you're interested in seeing more! I'd love to get back into writing more often.


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